Latest news with #PakistanMaritimeSecurityAgency
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Jailed fishers, struggling families: A Palghar story
Sami Kishore Masya's tin-roofed tenement is so dark in the sunny afternoon that a volunteer has to turn on a mobile torch to converse with her. Sami speaks haltingly in Marathi. "My husband was our main breadwinner. Survival is hard as there are many to feed (five children, her mother, and herself) and income is unsteady and paltry," she says. The family lives in Khunwde village in Dahanu Taluka, Palghar district. Sami is the wife of Kishore Ukhadya Masya, one of 18 fishermen currently imprisoned in Malir Jail in Karachi, Pakistan. The men were arrested when their boats were swept into international waters by gusty winds. Acting on repeated petitions by peace activists, in 2023 the Maharashtra govt announced a daily allowance of Rs 300 to each of their families. Incidentally, all 18 fishers from Maharashtra are from tribal villages in Palghar district. Activists seeking financial aid on their behalf blame bureaucratic indifference for their families' hardships. "The state govt has sanctioned Rs 16.20 lakh to the families of fishermen, as opposed to the Rs 64.16 lakh proposed by the fisheries department of Palghar, as of May 2025," says Mumbai-based peace activist Jatin Desai, who has worked for the repatriation of Indian and Pakistani fishermen imprisoned in each country. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Thị trường có dấu hiệu suy thoái không? IC Markets Đăng ký Undo "The remaining amount (Rs 47.97 lakh) should be released immediately, followed by Rs 9,000 credited monthly to their bank account. " You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai There are 193 Indian fishermen, including 18 from Maharashtra, in Pakistan's custody, while 81 Pakistani fishers are in Indian jails. Each year, on January 1 and July 1, both countries swap lists of the fishermen and civil prisoners they hold from across the border. Desai says both countries have violated the bilateral agreement. "Section (V) of the bilateral agreement on consular access, 2008, says that both govts have to agree to release and repatriate persons within one month of confirmation of their national status and completion of their sentences," he explains. "Of the 193 Indian fishermen in Pakistan's jails, 180 completed their sentence and their nationality was verified. " Ajay Vasant Varu of Jalwai village in Dahanu Taluka was arrested on November 5, 2021, along with seven others, by Pakistan Maritime Security Agency when their boat drifted across the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). "I have three children and Ajay's old father to look after. The little income (Rs 250 per day) from plucking chikoos is inadequate to run the house. This too stops as chikoo plucking is seasonal and I then have to look for farm work," says Ajay's wife Bhagyashree. The desperation of the families is acute. While men either work on fishing boats of Porbandar and Diu, or at factories and back offices located in the neighbouring districts of Gujarat, women toil at chikoo orchards and on paddy fields. Local volunteer Ganpat Lakshman Bujad says the tribals possess little beyond their modest houses in their hamlets on the hills. Bujad's cousin Vinod Lakshman Kol's body was brought back from Pakistan to his village on May 1 last year, after he died of a heart attack on March 17. "People take risks and go fishing deep into the sea because hunger haunts their families back home," he says. Working between August and April, with a three-month monsoon break from May to July, fishers are under pressure to net a large catch so that boat owners, who spend Rs 4-5 lakh on a 20-day trip, can profit from each trip. In addition to the diesel cost, fishermen are paid Rs 20,000-25,000 each. "Pollution from effluents and industrial waste flowing into the sea have driven fish further away from the coast. This has forced fishermen to sail deeper into waters and risk drifting into Pakistani territory," says Bharat Mody, ex-president, Porbandar Fishermen Boat Owners Association.
Express Tribune
25-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Govt measures help curb smuggling
Listen to article Pakistan has taken a host of strict measures to control smuggling of commodities including oil supplies from Iran that led to an increase of up to 340% in legal trade. Though the government has sprung into action to curb the smuggling of Iranian oil, the domestic oil industry claims the illegal trade has started rising again, sparking concerns among market players. In a recent meeting of the federal cabinet, the interior and narcotics secretary spoke about the anti-smuggling measures and operations undertaken over the last one year. He informed ministers and advisers that the government had cracked down hard on the inward and outward smuggling of commodities, including the essential items, such as wheat, sugar, urea, cigarettes, oil, gold, tyres and tea. Action had been taken through setting up 56 joint check posts, the digitisation of petrol pumps, introducing tracking systems for vehicles carrying Iranian oil and the completion of a sea barrier at Jiwani. The government has also formed a seafront task force under the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency and is establishing 35 digital enforcement stations. The secretary revealed that the overall increase in legal imports across all categories reached 340.8%, which indicated a significant rise in documented trade. Separately, in a letter written to Director Customs Intelligence of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Abdul Basit Abbasi, the Oil Companies Advisory Council (OCAC) drew his attention to the rise in smuggling of Iranian oil. The industry lobby pointed out that they were encountering a decline in sales of petroleum products as well as the loss of revenue in the backdrop of resurgence of illegal trade. "We refer to our letter dated November 4, 2024, in which we acknowledged the efforts undertaken by the FBR to curb illicit trade, particularly concerning the illegal petrol pumps, unlicensed oil agencies and cross-border smuggling," the OCAC said, adding that those measures significantly contributed to restricting the illegal fuel trade, leading to a notable increase in nationwide fuel sales from September to December 2024 (compared to the same period of last year) and substantial revenue generation for the government. However, it expressed concern over the recent downturn in fuel sales in February 2025. Reliable sources indicate that the illicit trade has resurfaced as the smuggled high-speed diesel is being sold at an alarmingly low price of approximately Rs180 per litre compared to the current market price of Rs258.64 per litre. Additionally, the mixing of light aliphatic hydrocarbon and solvent with petrol goes on unchecked, with reports suggesting that adulterated motor spirit is being sold for Rs160 per litre, significantly lower than the regulated price of Rs255.63 per litre. This resurgence of illegal fuel sales not only disrupt legitimate businesses but also result in a substantial revenue loss of roughly Rs1.5 billion per day for the government. The OCAC pointed out that the adverse impact was reflected in the declining fuel sales, which included a 6% fall in high-speed diesel sales to 419,494 metric tons in February 2025 as compared to sales of 445,263 MT in February 2024. Similarly, preliminary data indicates that motor spirit sales will be 5% lower in March 2025 compared to the same month of last year. Additionally, planned sales, based on September-December 2024 trends, are down 13% for motor spirit and 16% for high-speed diesel in March 2025, despite the onset of agricultural planting season. "Given these developments, we request you to mitigate the resurgence of illicit fuel trade through the closure of illegal retail sites, with strict measures to prevent their re-emergence and stronger border controls, which can contribute 4,000-8,000 MT of fuel daily to the economy," the OCAC said. It also underscored the need for placing restrictions on the import of white spirit, which was commonly used as an adulterant in high-speed diesel.
Arab News
24-02-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan Navy holds Sea Guard-25 exercise for key maritime sector representatives
KARACHI: The Pakistan Navy on Monday launched the Sea Guard-25 exercise in the southern port city of Karachi to bring diverse sectors and agencies together on one platform to 'collectively address multifaceted challenges in the maritime domain.' The exercise, the second in its series, will run from Feb. 24-28 and bring together representatives from fisheries, law enforcement agencies, private entities, and non-profits. 'In addition to prominent figures from the private sector and fishing community, representatives from various organizations, including the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency, Pakistan Coast Guards, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, Anti-Narcotics Force, Federal Investigation Agency, Karachi Port Trust, and Port Qasim Authority, attended the session,' the navy said in a statement. 'The exercise seeks to enhance coordination among national stakeholders while operating within their respective legal frameworks, using JMICC as a common platform to strengthen security of Pakistan's maritime zones,' the navy statement added, referring to the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Center. 'It includes a series of practical scenario-based exercises at sea, along with table-top discussions, to refine and improve existing security mechanisms.' Pakistan frequently conducts drills in Karachi, home to key naval bases and whose strategic position along the Arabian Sea is vital for safeguarding the South Asian nation's territorial waters. Earlier this month, Pakistan hosted the AMAN-25 multinational naval exercise, with 60 nations participating. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also concluded their annual Affaa Al Sahil naval exercise in Karachi in February.
